SANYA RICHARDS-ROSS’ golden career came to an end at the US Olympic trials on Saturday July 2.
The reigning Olympic 400m champion and US record-holder over the distance had been hoping to bring the curtain down on her international career, in which she has amassed four Olympic and five World Championship gold medals, in Rio but pulled up in her heat in Eugene and jogged the last 100m.
The 31-year-old felt a recurrence of a hamstring strain suffered three weeks ago, but was clapped down the home straight by an appreciative crowd.
On her Instagram account, Richards-Ross said: “I received a standing ovation in Hayward Field. Surely it wasn’t for my performance on that day but for my performance over the years. I wish I could thank every fan individually for allowing me to have that moment. I left my heart on the track yesterday.”